Biography

Raised in a family that valued innovation and tangible impact, I learned early how science can transform lives. From my grandfather’s fields in Italy and my maternal grandparents’ self-sustaining hospital in rural India, I learnt that meaningful change depends on both scientific excellence and a commitment to supporting vulnerable communities: technology must be co-created with the people it aims to serve. Through research and my work with farmers in Kenya, I have become increasingly aware of the urgency of restoring degraded agricultural systems, increasing soil fertility while reducing dependence on fertilisers. I became fascinated by how plants and fungi cooperate to sustain growth, resilience, and soil health. At Cambridge, I will pursue a PhD on SMAX1-mediated control of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, aiming to identify symbiosis-specific regulators that can help crops form more effective partnerships with beneficial fungi. I am honoured to become part of the Gates community, where I hope to contribute to more regenerative, equitable agriculture, and to a future where science helps both people and ecosystems thrive.

Previous Education

Imperial College London (University of London) Systems and Synthetic Biology 2025
University College London Biomedical Sciences 2024